Where'd All The Time Go, CAL 3B?
July 24, 2026
First and foremost, we feel so lucky to have spent the last two weeks with our incredible group. Each and every person brought something special and new to the table, and we have learned so much along the way! While we are sad to all go our separate ways, we know that the memories we now share will connect us for life:) Now for a recap of our final AWESOME days altogether!!!!
Day 11 began with a leisurely morning in our final beachside campsite in Half Moon Bay. We made a huge brunch following some much needed sleeping in, played round after round of poison dart frog, and prepared for an awesome afternoon of surfing! An unusually sunny and warm day in the San Francisco Bay Area made for excellent surfing conditions, and Shea and Ela crushed the waves, proving to be naturals from the start. We returned to our campsite and sprinted to the beach, all eager to soak up the beautiful weather. We jumped in the ocean spontaneously in our clothes (again), with Pembry leading the crew in taking the polar Pacific plunge! We closed our evening with what Edward, Charlie, and I call “Thanksgiving dinner.” Our hungry campers floored each of us as we cooked and consumed steak quesadillas, mac and cheese, a pasta bar, and hot dogs. No food was wasted, and we even had Edward participate in a spirited food eating contest. We somehow managed to wrap our day up with some s’mores!
Then on to day 12! How have we come this close to departure day so fast? We started our morning with a big breakfast filled with pancakes, sausage, bacon, and fruit as we all devoured it in minutes, especially Staton taking down most of the sausage. We then got in the cars and headed for Golden Gate Park to check out a cool spot in San Francisco. We walked through a Japanese botanical garden looking at koi fish and cool structures such as pagodas and bridges. We made a pit stop at Annie’s Hot Dogs (a local food truck rated best hot dogs in the city) on our way out of Golden Gate Park to enjoy a speedy and delicious picnic lunch. We got back in the cars and drove to our sailing spot in the Sausalito marina with Captain Kirk’s for the afternoon! Once on the boat everyone laid out and stretched their legs while taking in the amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. After we were done sailing, we introduced our cooking competition for the night as the kids would get the opportunity to cook a full course meal for the leaders. We broke up into two teams, one team being Pembry, Shea, Chollet, Ashford, Ela, and Jack while the other team being Britt, Hight, Staton, Maggie, Annie, and Lewis. Each team cooked amazing meals that impressed the leaders. Shea’s team brought out double and triple smashburgers, french fries with a secret sauce, caesar salad, and cookies with frosting while Annie’s group brought out nachos, chicken alfredo, and a s’more dip. Both teams made our job as judges and food critics very difficult! In the end, Shea’s group with the smashburgers came out on top, but we all enjoyed some Oreos on the beach as we did Moonup to celebrate such a fun competition. After an incredible day, we couldn’t wait to get to sleep and get rest for our final day of the trip!
For our final full day, we woke up at the crack of dawn, and made our way back to Pacifica to catch some more waves. Shout out Ela and Shea for killing it on the water once again. After surfing, we prepared for the “Ed Special®,” a PB&J on a tortilla wrap, but when we realized we didn’t have enough tortillas, we made a surprise pivot to have lunch at Taco Bell. Annie, Chollet, Britt, and Ela all got extra large Baja Blast in spiral souvenir cups. After our taco feast, we trekked back to camp to pack it up for the last time, which included a deep clean of everything in the U-Haul. Once packing was wrapped up, everyone participated in a gummy bear pie eating challenge. Of course, this turned into a food fight, and everyone was covered in whipped cream by the game’s conclusion. After taking showers to wash up, we hit up the thrift store and got some silly outfits to wear to our banquet dinner where we enjoyed laughing with one another and some burgers. We closed the night with a Moonup with all of us in our sleeping bags, led by our final LOD’s Maggie and Staton!
And now we are here at the airport writing this final trip update, wondering where all the time went. What a wonderful, memorable, awe-inspiring two weeks we all shared. We hope that each of you have enjoyed following along our journey; we certainly loved writing about it:) Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your kids with us! We are all better for having met each and every one of them!
-Morgan, Edward, and Charlie:)
Rock Climbing and Rafting!
July 21, 2026
Hello again Moondancers!
WOW! What a couple of days! We are so pumped to fill y’all in on all of our new stories and adventures!
First off, we are in Yosemite!! What better way to kick off our stay in Yosemite than with a hike to Nevada Falls! Yes, it is a tough one, but we knew we could take the challenge head on. Our Leaders of the Day, Lewis and Ela, led us in a group stretch and gave us a motivational speech to help fuel us and begin the hike. As we went up, we took lots of pictures and videos of our experience. We took lots of breaks including a stop at Vernal Falls for lunch with what we thought would be a fan favorite lunch but ended up not being, summer sausage wraps. How unfortunate! Luckily we brought so many snacks and peanut butter for everyone to enjoy! After lunch, we kept hiking our way up to Nevada falls. With a steep incline in our final push, we made it to the top and had so many amazing views! Everyone showed their determination and grit to get up to the top! At the top, Hight became the professional photographer for some of the girls as they wanted so many pictures, but don’t worry, they let their cameraman hop in some pictures with them too! After experiencing that phenomenal experience we hiked back down to the trailhead to get some rewarding snacks to take with us on our ride back to the campsite. But wait! We stopped at June Pie on our way home to enjoy an even bigger reward of PIZZA!! We mowed through it all and then sprinted to the nearest ice cream shop to get a sweet treat before heading back to the campsite to get ready for our first day of rock climbing!!
Day 6 included our first day of rock climbing. We woke up and drove to meet up with our guides and get our gear. We then followed our guides to our climbing spot where we learned the skills of belaying and climbing. A lot of trust was put into each other as we individually learned to belay but everyone did so great! We were all able to climb up the wall and get plenty of belay practice to master all the skills of rock climbing. Shea and Jack showed everyone their climbing skills as they got up every climb with ease throughout the day. Once we got tired from climbing, we walked back down to the cars and drove to Tenaya Lake within Yosemite to swim around in the water and play on the beach. Lewis was the first one to take off running into the water as everyone else followed behind. After our time at Tenaya, we drove back to our campsite to make our lovely campground CAVA bowls. Ashford and Britt tried some pepperoncini and let’s just say they weren’t a fan of it… The pepperoncini was not a hot topping but everyone enjoyed all the other foods we included in our bowls such as tzatziki, hummus, chicken, and feta!
Day 7 marked our second day of rock climbing, where we got to further put our new learned skills to the test on harder climbs. All four of the available routes were crack climbs, which creates its own technical challenges within itself. Today we saw an amazing performance out of Shea, who was the only camper to climb the most challenging route. After we thanked our climbing guides and said our goodbyes, we hit the road for Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, a natural geothermal spring featuring multiple shallow pools (including a famous heart-shaped one) with water temperatures generally ranging from 95° to 105°F. We enjoyed chilling in the heat of the spring, while also enjoying the surrounding mountains. Britt and Chollet claimed that the water from the spring would clear anyone’s skin, although skeptical, many put these claims to the test… we are still waiting on results. Following Wild Willy’s, we went back to our campsite and had a fantastic dinner, hibachi!
On Day 8, we packed up our things from Yosemite and made our way to Camp Lotus. Breakfast consisted of delicious bacon, sausage, and egg English muffin sandwiches. We thank Hight for demolishing three sandwiches in an effort to minimize food waste. Before making it out of Yosemite, we made a stop at June Lake, where we soaked up some rays, enjoyed the refreshing crystal clear water, and had a spikeball tournament won by Shea and Staton (they were promised a candy of their choosing for winning). For lunch, we had classic deli sandwiches. After enjoying our Saturday out on the water, we kept pushing toward Lotus. Our drive was fortunately interrupted by a surprise stop at In n Out for lunch which got everyone pumped to try out the famous burgers, fries, shakes, and paper hats for the first time.
Day 9 started off strong with a more leisurely first morning at Camp Lotus and some breakfast tacos! Chollet and Ashford, our Leaders of the Day, helped us prepare sautéed bell peppers, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage to fill our tortillas to the brim. We hit the road shortly after to begin our 2 day white water rafting expedition! We spent the day splashing through Class II and III rapids on the lower section of the American River. We rafted through rapids coined “Hospital Bar” and “Recovery Room” like champs, and there was no shortage of amped up paddle high-fives in each of our two rafts. Hight and Lewis and Ashford and Shea manned the front seats of our two rafts, setting the pace for all paddlers. Back at the campsite, the “Stinky Seven” came to fruition following Annie, Chollet, Hight, Britt, Lewis, Ashford, and Ela’s decision to boycott a refreshing shower for the sake of some good ‘ole competition and smelly summer camp fun! A warm and sunny day on the river was followed by a delicious dinner prepared by our wonderful All Outdoors outfitters. Garlic bread, a fresh salad, roasted peppers, marinara and pesto pasta, steak and chicken, and brownies greeted us in the outdoor Camp Lotus kitchen, and we all went to bed feeling properly refueled for another day of rafting tomorrow.
And finally some words about Day 10! We started the day off right with another fabulous All Outdoors meal! From an egg scramble and fruit salad to sausage links and coffee cake, our crew chowed down on some breakfast staples before packing up camp and starting our second day of white water rafting. We tackled the upper section of the American River today, coined “Chili Bar,” passing through rapids named “Troublemaker” and “Meat Grinder” with bravery and team spirit. Annie and Britt and Pembry (with the GoPro attached!) and Shea (again;)) led each of their rafts with ease up at the front. During our lunch on the river, Maggie’s effort to motivate people to try tuna salad was a success, and nearly the entire group tried it for the first time. Following another day on the water, our crew hit the road for Half Moon Bay. Upon our arrival at our final campsite, each and every one of us ran to the beach and unexpectedly jumped in with our clothes on for the sake of spontaneity. We closed the day with hot dogs and Annie’s mac and cheese (a crowd favorite)!
These past 6 days have truly flown by, serving as a testament to all the fun that we’ve been having altogether out here in the Golden State! Stay tuned for more final updates in just a few days:)
-Morgan, Edward, and Charlie
Now for some thank you’s!
Hi Mom and Dad! I love it here, thank y’all for sending me, it’s awesome. We chased a bear and a skunk and jumped into 5ft waves! I haven’t showered haha I am a part of the stinky 7. Love you bye! – Lewis
Hi fam! I miss you so much. We went rafting, rock climbing, paddle boarding, and much more. We also threw rocks at skunks and went skunting. I have been cowboy camping outside. Thank you so much for sending me here! – Shea
Hey Mom and Dad, We saw a bear and almost got sprayed by a skunk on the way to the bathroom. Miss you so much and thank you for sending me here. Love, Staton
Hey guys I’m having an amazing time and I’ve met so many awesome people. Thanks so much for letting me be here. Love y’all!<3 – Hight
Hi Mom hi Dad. I miss y’all. I am having so much fun. It’s cold btw. Thanks so much. Having fun. Love you so much – Maggie
Hi Mom and Dad and Jones! I love you so much, and I’m having a blast and I’m a part of the stinky seven. – Ashford
Hey Mom and Dad! It has been the best 10 days ever, and I kinda forgot about y’all. We chased a baby bear and skunks and I faced my fear of heights and went to the top of three rock climbing things that were really hard. I still haven’t showered, and I’m part of the stinky seven. Thanks for sending me! Love you! Please let me stay longer – Chollet<3
Hi Mom and Dad! I am having so much fun here! I haven’t showered, and it is day 10! I love my leaders! I miss Rosie so much and tell her I say hi! Thank y’all for sending me here! Bye I love y’all! – Britt
Hey mommsie and pupsie! I’m having a blast! Def coming back!!!! I’m so grateful you sent me here! I miss you but don’t! – Annie
Hi Mom and Dad, I miss you so much! I’ve been having so much fun. Today we went white water rafting, then drove to Half Moon Bay. When we got here we all ran down to the beach and jumped in the water in our clothes. I haven’t showered yet haha but we had the choice and chose not to. Thank you so much for sending me here. I love you so much – Ela
Hey Mommy and Daddy, We saw a bear and many skunks. We got drenched by the rapids. We arrived at Half Moon Bay tonight and immediately hopped into the water. Thank you for sending me to this fantastic camp! Good luck B on your tournament. I miss y’all so much! Love, Pembry
Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for sending me on Moondance. Can’t wait to see y’all! – Jack
Crushing it in Cali!
July 15, 2026
Hey 3B fam and friends!!
We are stoked to be writing our first trip update for our third session!! The past 4 days have been adventurous, challenging, exhilarating, hilarious, and FUN! We have already made countless memories that we will surely all cherish forever:) Now for the recap!
Day 1 started off strong in the airport with round after round of Imposter to get everyone chatting and laughing right off the bat. We hopped in the cars once everyone had arrived, blasted California Gurls by Katy Perry (of course!), and began our road trip towards Lake Tahoe! With Annie as our first co-pilot, she kept everyone’s first day energy high with some upbeat tunes and stories. We made a pizza pit stop halfway through our journey to get some proper night one fuel at a restaurant that randomly had a horse race on the TVs. Everyone enjoyed watching the atypical competition on the screens while simultaneously playing rounds of Wavelength. Before we knew it, we pulled into our Tahoe campsite and were greeted by an epic blood-orange sunset that wowed each and every one of us. Our very first Moonup culminated with Britt and Shea being selected as our first Leaders of the Day for Day 2! Between Britt’s high energy and positivity all day long and Shea’s enthusiasm (illustrated through the pre-Moondance playlist he made), they proved to be excellent first picks for the job!
Now for Day 2, YAY! A humongous breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a variety of fruit pumped everyone up early for a more challenging morning and afternoon of hiking! Our crew hit the road for Bayview Trailhead in Lake Tahoe, and we began our trek towards Maggie’s Peaks. Featuring picturesque views of Emerald Bay and Granite Lake, Maggie’s Peaks trail spans 4.7 miles, half of which is completed on a steep incline. Pembry kept morale high with her frequent encouragement. Once we reached the top, Ashford and Lewis explored the rocky terrain with pure excitement. As a celebration of all of our hard work, Morgan surprised the group with Airhead Xtreme candy, which proved to be a huge crowd pleaser. A quick trip into town to get some Tahoe stickers and t-shirts following the day’s exertions got everyone excited. Back at the campsite, Jack manned the Spikeball net, Pembry got everyone motivated to play some soccer, and the three of us leaders got taco night rolling! Another awesome day in the books!
Day 3 started with a simple and classic cereal breakfast featuring Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Being our first full day in Tahoe, there was no better way to spend it than out on the lake on some tandem kayaks. We participated in a handful of games, including Sharks and Minnows, 360 races, and Red Light Green Light. Everyone was shocked to find out from our kayaking guide, Alice, that Lake Tahoe is the second deepest high alpine lake in the US (with Crater Lake in Oregon being the reigning champ)! We also spotted the Colgate toothpaste CEO’s lakeside cottage from the water, which was unique because it had some of the oldest trees around Tahoe on its lot, making them much taller. On our way back to shore, we connected all of our boats and made what Alice called a “toggle train.” We had Ed in the front and Maggie and Pembry’s boat as our caboose. After kayaking, we took a quick pit stop at the campsite for a delicious chicken quesadilla lunch. Shortly after, we got back to it and loaded up into the cars to head towards the Vikingsholm Trail in Emerald Bay, featuring a historic Scandinavian-style mansion, a waterfall, and a beach! As if the day couldn’t get any better, we enjoyed a pasta and meatball supper beneath a rain tarp in an effort to escape a quick (but cool!) rainstorm at our campsite.
We kept it rolling on our final day in Tahoe with some paddleboarding. But first, what’s a better way to start the day than with some avocado toast!! We loved seeing it being devoured by first-time avocado toasters Staton, Hight, Lewis, and Jack! We enjoyed paddling around in the water and getting some good sun while also swimming in the cold yet refreshing water! We even played a fun game of king of the paddleboard with Ela coming out on top as she got Chollet just as drenched as the rest of us! Some of us were lucky enough to catch a nice ride in from Staton and Shea as they pulled us to shore. We kept the day going, eating a classic PB&J roadside lunch in Nevada while overlooking Lake Tahoe for the final time. We listened to lots of fun songs and had good sing-alongs to make our drive feel much shorter than it was. At our Yosemite campsite, we played our favorite dancing game again and again while cooking our fabulous meal of ramen, chicken, and hibachi-style veggies. Leaders of the Day, Hight and Chollet, killed it by cutting the bell peppers, squash, and zucchini for the group. After stuffing ourselves with a huge dinner, we ended the day with Moonup, with Ela and Lewis being nominated as our Day 5 Leaders of the Day!
And that’s all we have for you guys for now, but we will be checking in very soon with more memories and adventures made altogether! PEACE!
-Morgan, Charlie, and Edward:)
Now for some shoutouts!
Hi Mom and Dad! I miss you so much! I’m having a great time. I’ve made so many friends and have the best counselors. I never want to leave. Love you so much, Ela
Hi Mom and Dad I love you so much and I miss you. The food is good and everything is awesome. Love you – Ashford
Dear Mom and Dad,
How are the dogs and Davis?
-Jack
Hi y’all! I miss you guys so much! But…I kinda don’t! I’m having the best time and I LOVE my counselors. 2 of them live in Nash!!!! And Edward went to Ensworth and Charlie went to MBA…Ok gtg bye! – Annie
Hey guys! I miss you! Having fun!!!- Staton
Hey Mom and Dad! I’m having fun. Charlie is tuff and Ed lets us go to gas stations. Love y’all bye! How’s Milly, Archie, and Banks? Love you – Lewis
Hi guys, I love all the people and counselors and the food is also amazing. Love y’all – Hight
Hey Mom and Dad, how’s everything at home? Love you guys – Maggie
Hi Mom and Dad! I miss you so much. I am having fun. We were just at Lake Tahoe and it was cold. Tell Holland, Pippa, Maple, and Hazel I love them. Miss you. Bye:) – Shea
Greetings Mom, Dad, and Blair! I’m having so much fun! My counselors and new friends are great! I miss y’all so much! Love, Pembry
Hi y’all! I’m having so much fun. I miss y’all and ROSIE!! I love you guys, see y’all soon!!! – Britt
Hey Mom and Dad!! I’m having so much fun and everyone is so nice. Miss and love y’all so much! Love, Chollet
Hey Mom, Dad, and Jack… I miss y’all so much! I hope everything back home is awesome, and I hope Winston is great. Congrats on starting work in NYC, Jack! Super proud of you. Can’t wait to see all of you soon! Love, Charlie
Hey Mama, Dad, Annie, and Jack!
I miss y’all tons! So crazy to think that we will all be reunited so soon:) I have loved every second of my summer in California. All the kids are AWESOME! Love you guys so much!
XOXO,
Morgan<3
Safe Arrival!
July 11, 2026
Hello California Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in San Francisco! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
